Car-coupling



W. SCOTT. Gar Coupling.

No. 235,027. Patented Nov. 30, 1880.

WITNESSES: %INVEg/7;OR: m. 4% 0% awn/@7 N4 PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPNEF. WASHINGTON D C Nrrnn STATES ATENT FrroE,

WILLIAM SCOTT, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 235,027, dated November 30, 1880,

Application filed February 19, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ScoTT, of

Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of a coupler for cars composed of a jaw, shackling-pin suspended by a lever thereon, and a shackling-link swung thereto, all substantially as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying plate of drawings this improvement in couplers for cars is illustrated, Figure 1 being aview of the couplers attached to two cars, one coupler being in side elevation and one in a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. 1, one coupler being in horizontal longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a front view-of one of the couplers.

In the drawings, A represents the ends of two cars, each having a coupling constructed as follows: 13 is a semicircular-shaped jaw rigidly fastened to the draw-bar (J at the end of each car, which draw-bar is attached to the car in the usual manner. This jaw is in a vertical position and projects from the car at right angles to the end of the car. This jaw, atits upper end, is shaped to make a buffer, D. a is a slot in jaw back of buffer D, andE a vertical lever hungin said slotand projecting both above and below the same. This lever E may be made in one piece, as shown in one of the couplings, or in two pieces, as shown in the other coupling, and when in two pieces oneis pivoted to the other, as at b. The upper end of the lever E is shouldered, as at c, to rest on the upper side of the jaw, and its lower end, (1, has the upper end of a pin, F, hung to it, which pin is the shackle-pin. The lower end of this pin has a groove,f, which is adapted to fit over a raised rib, g, on the upper side, it, of the lower part, l, of the jaw, and said upper side is formed with a rest, m, for the lower end and a rest, a, for the front side of the shackle-pin F. The front end, 0, of lower part, I, ofjawB inclines downward, as shown'at G, and on each side of said lower part, 1, is hung a shackling-link, H, for which a rest,10, is provided, which is suitably shaped to limit the upward and the downward swing of the link.

The coupling hereinabove described is selfoperating, and when two cars provided with it, as shown, are brought together, end to end, the shackling-link of the car which then happens to lie the higher at its outer end rides up the incline G of the coupling-jaw to the other car, and, abutting against the shacklingpin of such coupling, forces it backward, when, having escaped therefrom, such shackling-pin falls into its place again, and thus the cars are coupled, as is obvious.

To insure one link riding over the other when the cars are brought together, each link, at its front end, is beveled upon its under side, as-shown at 1".

For uncoupling the cars coupled as described, the lever E is provided with a chain, J, by which to lift the shackle-pin out of its seat.

The groove and rib connection between shackle-pin and jaw B, for the rest of front side of said shackle-pin, obviously prevents any lateral slip of the pin, and makes a bearing for the pin to resist the forward pull of the shackle-pin by the link which is in connection with it.

The shoulders c of the lever, by their rest on the upper side of the jaw for the rest of the lever against the end of the slot,.as seen in Fig. 1, prevent the forward and upward pull on the shackle-pin from disengaging the pin from its seat and rest on the jaw.

The jaw B is suitably inclined, as at s, so that when the shackling-pin F is raised by the chain, &c., the link will easily slide or pull off from its seat on the jaw.

The link when in its normal position being inclined insures the one or the other of the links which happens to be higher from one cause or another, such as the different heights of the cars or the unevenness of the railroadtrack, riding up the lowermost inclined link, and thus whatever the difference may be in the heights ofthe cars, as stated, the automatic coupling of the cars is accomplished.

The draw-bar can be attached to the coupler at any point desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The draw-bar (J, constructed with the semicircular jaw B, the lower forward end, I,

of which is provided with a raised rib, g, and a rest, m, in combination with a lever, E, pivoted Within a slot in the upper forward end of the jaw, and a pin, F, pivoted to the lower end of said lever, and having, a groove, f, adapted to set over the raised rib g, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the draw-head having a lever, E, and a pin, F, and provided with the inclined front face, with the coupling-link H, pivoted in and embracing the draw-head,

and normally supported in an inclined position by lateral supports on the draw-head, said link having its depending front end beveled and adapted to operate in conjunction with a draw-head similarly constructed and arranged on an adjoining car, as shown and described.

WILLIAM SCOTT. Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, W. S. BELLOWS. 

